<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Boggle @ Aug 12 2009, 09:37 PM)
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (gingergenius @ Aug 12 2009, 07:08 PM)
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Give PdV a break until he f***s up, which I suspect (and I may get a roasting for this) some white south africans can't wait to happen.[/b]
You haven't been paying attention have you ?
He -already- f***ed up, 2008 was one hell of a disaster, we should have cleaned out the Tri Nations, instead we got belted 19 - 0 at Newlands, ended up last on the log and almost got beaten by the Scots.
I mentioned before that I was all for giving him a chance but after last year he did go down a few notches in my book, so if all this coach actually has to do is -select- the squad, why the hell did we have to get rid of the guy who -built- the squad in the first place ?
I'm not arguing with the stats at all, but like I said, all he did was do what everyone said he should have done, I'm still not completely sure about him as a coach, he can still prove himself to me though, if he can create a game plan that utilizes our back-line more, but in an effective and efficient way (no crazy **** like last year or what New Zealand have been pulling this year) to compliment our immense front 8 he would have probably created one of the best teams ever.
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Ok I agree with you, there was no need to get rid of Jake White. But then there was no need to put the Protea on the shirt or any of the other petty 'reparations' bullshit. It happened.
However, post World Cup SA had to redevelop. England were unbeatable up to the RWC in 2003 and then lost to Ireland at Twickenham in the 6N in 2004. Similar reasons - after a world cup success, senior players decide to retire, leaving gaps which take time to be filled. England still haven't filled them all properly which is why we haven't been a great team for the last 5 years. South Africa have brought through Mtawarira, du Plessis, Brussow, Spies, Steyn and Steyn into the first team since then. Fine, the 2008 Tri nations wasn't amazing, but NZ were an outstanding side, and as I remember SA beat the ABs in NZ and put 50 points on Aus, who also beat them and the ABs, who eventually won the tournament. At the end of the day, it was rather a muddled affair all round.
Now, you talk of 'best teams ever'. Best teams ever are measured by results. If the 2005-7 All Blacks had won the RWC, they'd be up there for winning almost everything for a long period and capping it with the World Cup. As it is, they failed. I know I keep talking about it, but England 2001-3 were up there because they won almost everything (excluding Foot and Mouth fluke against Ireland and an almost equally world class France team) and then capped it with a world cup. When people think of the best teams ever, they never remember how much flair they had. This South Africa team has the oppurtunity to be the best team ever simply because it looks like winning everything up until the next world cup, then it's got to go and win that too. It's got **** all to do with any of the magic Francois Steyn can come up with.